§358. Subversive activities and communist control law; legislative finding of fact and declaration of necessity

There exists a world communist movement, directed by the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the other communist bloc nations, which has as its declared objective, world control. Such world control is to be brought about by aggression, force and violence, and is to be accomplished in large by infiltrating tactics involving the use of fraud, espionage, sabotage, infiltration, subversion, propaganda, terrorism and treachery. The state of Louisiana, as a sovereign political entity under the constitution of the United States, and as a functioning representative State government which is responsible solely to the people of this state under the constitutions of this state and nation, is a most probable and obvious target for those who seek by force, violence and other unlawful means to overthrow constitutional government, and is in imminent danger of communist espionage, infiltration, subversion and sabotage. Communist control of a country is characterized by an absolute denial of the right of self-government and by the abolition of those personal liberties which are cherished and held sacred in the state of Louisiana and in the United States of America.

The direction and control of the world communist movement is vested in and exercised by the communist dictatorships of the various communist bloc nations which, in furthering the purposes of the world communist movement, have established or caused the establishment of various action organizations and "front" organizations which are not free and independent, but are sections of a world wide communist organization or apparatus and are controlled and directed by and subject to the discipline of the various communist dictatorships.

These communist action organizations and front organizations so established and utilized in the state of Louisiana, and acting under such control, direction and discipline, endeavor to carry out the objectives of the world communist movement by bringing about the overthrow of existing governments, both national and state, by any available means, including force if necessary, and to set up communist totalitarian dictatorships which will be subservient to the world communist movement.

The agents of the world communist movement who knowingly participate in the conspiratorial subversive work of the world communist movement, by so doing, in effect repudiate their allegiance and loyalty to the state of Louisiana and in effect transfer their allegiance and loyalty to the foreign countries in which is vested the direction and control of the world communist movement. By clever and ruthless tactics of espionage, sabotage, infiltration, fraud, propaganda and subversion, the agents of the world communist movement in many instances in some form or manner successfully evade existing law. Any action organization or front organization managed, operated or controlled by communists, no matter what outward guise, cover, or public image it may assume, is in fact an arm, or tool, or agent organization, of the world communist movement, and its continued operation is a threat and a clear and present danger to the state of Louisiana and the citizens of the state of Louisiana. The effective regulation of such organizations and the control of Communist personalities is in the best interests of the state of Louisiana because the world communist movement is not a legitimate political effort, but is in fact a dangerous criminal conspiracy.

The world communist movement constitutes a clear and present danger to the citizens of the state of Louisiana and is a dangerous enemy of the state of Louisiana. This makes it necessary that the Legislature, in order to protect the people of the state, to preserve the sovereignty of the state under the constitutions of the United States and the state of Louisiana, and to guarantee to the State a republican form of government, enact appropriate legislation recognizing the existence of the world communist movement and preventing it from the accomplishment of its purposes in the state of Louisiana.

There exists a clear difference between natural persons protected by full constitutional freedoms, and organizations which are artificial entities. With this difference in mind and considering the paramount right and interest of the state to protect itself from subversion, the issue of due process is satisfied in R.S. 14:358-14:373 by the legal test of a preponderance of the evidence in a civil proceeding, R.S. 14:358-14:373 being intended as regulatory rather than punitive. The paramount interest of the state to control a clear and present danger demands the broadest possible venue provisions in such regulations. The guarantees of sovereignty and freedom enjoyed by this state and its citizens are certain to vanish if the United States and its constitution are destroyed by the communists, and any communist effort or attack against the United States is and should rightly be considered an attack upon and a clear and present danger to the state of Louisiana and its citizens.

The Legislature of Louisiana does not intend that R.S. 14:358-14:373 shall in any way regulate or control race relations in the state of Louisiana, the question of race being irrelevant for the purposes of R.S. 14:358-14:373, which is written and passed solely for the purpose of regulating subversive activities directed against the state and people of Louisiana. Nothing in R.S. 14:358-14:373 is in any way intended to improperly infringe upon the constitutionally protected right of freedom of expression, for this right, strong though it may be, is not absolute, and falls short of the right to shout "fire" in a crowded movie theater. The protections afforded by the right to freedom of speech do not extend to acts which are by their very nature a clear and present danger to the state of Louisiana and its citizens and the carrying on of communist propaganda activity and other communist controlled activities in the state of Louisiana is such a danger and is therefore an intolerable abuse of the right to freedom of expression which can and should be regulated by statute for the safety of the people of this state. The public good, and the general welfare of the citizens of this state require the immediate enactment of this measure.

Amended by Acts 1965, No. 45, §1.

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